8/X. 05.

Dear friends! I hasten to inform you of an important turn of events regarding the question of representation in the International Bureau. The South Russian conference of the Mensheviks has adopted a resolution on this matter, in which 1) there is crude slander against me personally. I respond in No. 20 of *Proletarii*, which comes out the day after tomorrow. 2) They are asking Plekhanov to be the representative of their faction of the party.

This is precisely what we need! Plekhanov will of course respect their request. His quasi-neutrality, which is ruinous for us, will be torn away—which is what needed to be proved. Let there be two in the International Bureau: one from the majority and one from the minority. This is altogether the best arrangement. Moreover, if Plekhanov is from the minority, this is even better. This is an excellent precedent for future unification. I earnestly request: abandon now completely the idea of Plekhanov and appoint your own delegate from the majority. Only then shall we be fully secured. It would be good to appoint Orlovskii. He knows languages, is able to speak, and possesses representativeness. The greater part of the correspondence is written, almost all of it, and we would of course consult with him. Although there is nothing to consult about: I assure you from experience that this representation is pure formality. Plekhanov in days past many times entrusted this representation to Koltsov, and no harm ever came from it, although

* See the article "Representation of the RSDLP in the International Socialist Bureau" (Works, 5th ed., vol. 11, pp. 309-311). Ed.